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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · suit · track · racket · plane · file

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. track — to keep track
  9. suit — clothes
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. suit — to fit
  12. track — a path
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. track — a song
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com